Drop-front burial-casket.



No. 843,157. PATENTED FEB. 5, 1907.

W. H. LAWSON.

DROP FRONT BURIAL GASKET.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1906.

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UNTTED STATES ATENT UFFTGTQ.

WALTER H. LAWsoN, or IiIerIMoND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO WATT & KEELOR, or RICHMOND, INDIANA, A FIRM.

DROP-FRONT BURlAL-OASKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1907.

Application filed February 26, 1906. Serial No. 302,874.

all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1', WALTER H. LAWSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Richmond, in the county of Wayne, and in the State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Drop-Front Burial-Casket, of which the following is a full, clear, and explicit exposition and specification thereof, being such as will enable others to make and use the same with absolute eXact-itude.

My present invention has reference to improvements in burial-caskets having the front side cut away, with a vertically-movable panel operative in said cut-away portion and a top hinged to the rear side of the easket; and the object of my invention is to provide simple and easily-operated means for in directly connecting the said top and movable panel, whereby the operation of opening and closing the top will automatically open and close said cut-away portion and by which if said panel be held the top may be opened and closed without actuating the said panel.

Other minor objects and particular advantages will be presented in the course of the ensuing specification.

The essential features of my invention are shown most clearly in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which Figure 1. is a view in perspective of a casket embodying my invention and showing the casket open. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, showing the casket closed. Fig. 3 is an introspective cross-sectional view of the casket as taken on the line X X of Fig. 2 and as looking in the direction indicated by the arrows on said line; Fig. 4, an introspective cross-sectional view of the casket as taken on the line Y Y of Fig. 2, except that the casket is shown open, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows on said line. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view, partly in section, showing the mechanism located at one end of the casket, as taken on the line Z Z of Fig. 4 in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of one of the upper corners of the movable front, and Fig. 7 l

is a detail elevation illustrating the manner of mounting the movable front.

Like parts are designated by similar indicatives throughout the several views of the drawings.

Having sh own my inventlon, 1 will now attempt to describe its construction and operation as fully and as completely as I may.

In the drawings the letter A denotes the back of the casket; B, the bottom; C and D, the ends, and E the top thereof. The top E is hinged at the rear edge to the upper edge of the back A by the hinges F and G.

The numerals 1 and 2 denote the opposing stationary portions of the front, which extend toward each other only slightly from the respective ends C and D.

The numeral 3 denotes the movable front or panel extending and operative between the members 1 and 2, being of same width thereof and corresponding therewith, as shown in Fig. 2.

My present invention lies more particularly in the vertically-movable front 3, which is adapted to be moved up and down between the members 1 and 2 between the extremes indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, and this movable front would be impracticable, except for means for moving it automatically, which means I will now describe.

Secured on the inner faces of the members 1 and 2 are brackets H and 1, respectively, which may be united at the bottom by the strip J, thereby forming supports for the ends and also giving a finished appearance to the casket when the front 3 is down, as indicated in Fig. 1. The means for automatically operating the front 3 are in duplicate mechanisms, they being identical in construction, one being located at each end of the casket, the parts of one being described and referred to by reference-numerals and its consort or corresponding part at the opposite end of the casket being referred to by a like numeral with exponent.

Secured near the center of the upper portions of the inner faces of the ends 0 and D are vertically-disposed pulleys 4 and 4:, respectively.

The numerals 5 and 5 denote arms mounted at one end each by the respective pivots 6 and 6 to the inner faces of and near the central part of the rear portions of the respective ends C and D.

The numerals 7 and 7 denote levers, their I rear ends of said levers 7 and 7 are connected by pivots 9 and 9 to the inner faces of the ends of the top E at points properly predetermined, as shown.

By the above it is apparent that as the top is opened and closed the forward ends of the arms 5 and 5 will be raised and lowered. In order to prevent the top from turning back farther than desired, I provide the stops 10 and 10 for the respective ends, which stops are secured to the inner faces of the respective ends C and D for the arms 5 and 5 to impinge against when the top is turned back, as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be observed that the upper edges of the brackets H and I extend substantially even with the lower edges of the caps of the members 1 and 2, and on the upper edges of said brackets and near the ends 0 and D are mounted horizontally the pulleys 11 and 11, respectively, as shown.

Between the members 1 and H, also between the members 2 and I, are formed vertically-disposed channels, being oppositely disposed and facing each other and which are denoted by the numerals 12 and 12, respectively. The upper ends of said channels turn outward oppositely from each other and extend under the caps of the members 1 and 2 and then extend in to the respective pulleys 11 and 11, as shownmost clearlyin Fig. 5.

Secured flush with the back of the front member 3 and projecting out to right and left therefrom are the respective tongues 13 and 13, which are formed, preferably, of metal strips and which are adapted to travel up and down in said channels 12 and 12, respectively, as the front 3 is moved up and down. Mounted vertically in the upper ends of the channels 12 and 12 are pulleys 15 and 15, respectively, as most clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The numerals 14 and 14 denotes each a cord or the like, one end being secured, as shown in Fig. 6, in the upper end of the re spective tongues 13 and 13, passing then over the respective pulleys 15 and 15, thence to left and right over the pulleys 11 and 11 respectively, then over the respective pulleys 4 and 4, and then secured in the movable ends of the respective arms 5 and 5. Said cords or the like are of a length such as when the top is down the front 3 will be up, as shown in Fig. 3, and when the top is turned back the front will be down, as shown in Fig. 4.

In order that the upper edge of the front 3 may not inadvertently rise higher than on a level with the upper edges of the casket, I provide a flange or stop 16, which extends back from the lower edge of the front 3, and a space I) is formed in the bottom B for said flange or stop to enter when the front is up, whereby the lower edge of the front 3 may not rise higher than even with the lower face of the bottom B, as shown in Fig. 3, this being necessary on account of the fact that handles may be secured to the face of the front 3, and when the front is closed the casket may be carried by the handles without dangerof the front being displaced.

The operation of my invention is the acme of simplicityas, for instance, when closed the casket will present the appearance of an ordinary re ulation casket, except for the two lines of demarcation designated by the letters M and N, as shown in'Fig. 2, which lines are really not perceptible except by close observation when the casket is properly constructed and trimmed. Should the top be now turned upward and backward to the position shown in Fig. 1, it is quite evident that by the intermediation of the mechanisms described the front 3 will be lowered synchronously with the raising of the top, reaching its lowest point as the top reaches its backward limit, and will be prevented from moving beyond the desired point by reason of the stops l0 and 10, and, conversely, as the top is closed the front 3 will be drawn upward, whereby the front under edge of the top and the upper edge of the front 3 reach a common point synchronously.

The movements of the top and the movements of the movable front should counter balance each other, whereby the operation will be extremely easy and may be accomplished without appreciable effort.

It is also evident that if the supports (not shown) for the casket be allowed to extend under the movable panel or by otherwise securing it in its closed position the top may be opened and closed without the operation of the movable panel.

While I have shown and described a spe ciflc construction, I desire that it be understood that I am not limited to the details thereof, as various changes and variations therein may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing the principles thereof.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a burial-casket having a hinged top with the central portion of the front of the casket formed open, a movable panel adapted to close said open portion of the front, guides for mounting said panel whereby it may be moved vertically within the limit of its width, a stop extending back from the lower edge of the .movable panel, flexible means for indirectly connecting the top and the movable panel whereby they will counterbalance each other to move to and from each other, and by which if the panel be held the top may be opened and closed without actuating the said panel, all substantially as shown and described.

2. A burial-casket having a hinged top and a vertically-movable front panel, means for guiding said panel in its movements, means for limiting the upper movements of the panel, arms pivoted to the top and extending downward inside the casket, cords secured to of the inside of the top, a cord connected to each end of the panel with its opposite end connected to its respective lever of the top, means for guiding the direction of said cords the lower ends of said arms and with the l for counterbalancing the top and said panel other ends of said cords connected to the ends of the movable panel, and a system of pulleys for directing the operation of said cords whereby the opening and closing of the top will automatically lower and raise the movable panel respectively, all substantially as shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a casket, the combination with the body having a portion of its front side cut away, and a top hinged to the upper edge of the rear side of the body, of the panel slidably mounted to close said cut-away portion of the front side, a lever connected to each end whereby as the top is raised and lowered said cut-away portion of the casket will be opened and closed, and by which if said panel be held the top may be opened and closed without operating said panel, all substantially as shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

VALTER H. LAWVSON. l/Vitnesses:

FRANK N. \VATT, ROBERT W HANDLE. 

